The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-09-08
A BRAVE COWARD.

remembered I woke up very early
that morning, with that dim sense of
something important being about to
happen which so often inserts itself into
the brain of the partially aroused
| sleeper.
Without opening my eyes, I began
drowsily wondering what it was. Did I
expect my commission9 No; that ar
rived three months ago. Was to join
my regimcnt3 No; l had already done
that, and was now settled in barracks in
a small Irish garrison town with an un-
pronounceable name Then l remember
/ dozed off again, only to start up and
wonder what on earth it was.
The start did it. l opened my eyes,
and knew it was the Gath of June, the
day our fellows had arranged to give
their picnic in Arrangounick Wood.
Oftourse l had gone to sleep thinking
of it, dreamt of it, and now all my plans
rushed into my brain; how that l, Lieu
tenant Eric Maurice, H. M. Forty Eighth
Royal Blues, stood pledged-at any rate,
in my own mind-on that day to gain
for my own the kindest little heart, the
merriest blue eyes, the rosiest lips in all
the Emerald Isle.
That all these belonged to Norah
O'Cregan l need not tell you; for if you
have ever heard of that military town
of Houstgoron, you have heard, too, of
Norah.
Once l had fully comprehended all
that was before me, jumped out of my
bed into my tub, singing, whistling and
shouting, as is my wont during tina pro-
gresslon of my toilet. Walls in barracks
arc notably not of the thickest, and I
received many Interruptions to my song
"When and how shall earliest me-e-et her?
What are the words she first shall sayl"
''Bother you" shouted Tompkins
from the room on the left, and crash
came boot hurled viciously against
the wall. a... .s
"By what name shall lear-rn to gree-et hers
"You idiot !"-this from Williams on
the right, accompanied by tapping, as
of brush. Cant you let fellow
sleep?"
~ know not now, but shall kno-ow some
day."
At this juncture my door was burst
violently open, and in came Tompkins
himself in an unbecoming state of IN
dress and another boot held menacingly
up in the air. This, however, he drop
ped when he saw me already dressed and
fixing crimson rosebud in my coat the
exact shade of the silk handkerchief
whose corners showed knowingly from
my pocket.
"Whew !-whew!" he calmly re-
marked, seating himself on my bed. 'Is
that it2 Poor fellow" And he slowly
inspected me from head to foot. "Don't
you Think he continued, "that flower
leans little too much to the left9 1t
might fall out, you know, and then all
the heavy work would fall on the hand
kerchief; you can't expect it to do the
business unsupported. But stay, dear
boy; alter nothing. As yon are, you
are"
But here / left the room. This man
always irritated me almost beyond en-
durance, and l never could understand
how any one in this wide world could
fnd amusement in his foolish remarks.
/ looked at my watch Good gra-
ciousl It wanted still three hours to the
time we were to start Breakfast might
be made to last one, but what to do with
the other two rather puzzled me.
went outside and walked up and down,
but was soon driven in again by seeing
Tompkins' ugly face watching me witt
broad grin from his window.
However, the time passed somehow
and l saw no more of Tompkins, and be
gan to hope that after all he was no
coming with us. This hope lasted unit
was seated on the drag, when sudden
ly heard his loud voice as he mounted
the steps to the top.
Never know if feel most like cir
! Gus or bank holiday on this thing" h
was saying.
! And as his head appeared over tn
seat opposite me, and his eye caugh
mine, he paused, put up his eye-glasse
. and slowly surveyed me from my fee
! upward, until his eye rested on my rose
. bud, when he gently waved his hand
intimate that it inclined too much to th
left, burst into loud guffaw and So
down.
This added to the annoyance / alread
felt, and declining to take any part
the fun that went on during the drive,